60k maintenance

Dinosaur1, I think it's vital to clear up some rather opinionated views with some fact - it concerns me greatly to hear things that are factually inaccurate passed off as "expert". I know it's hard for the general consumer to know what is and what is not factual, who to trust and who not to trust. Auto maintenance and repair is what I do every day. It's my living - and I take pride in helping people every day. I answer questions here off-time because again I enjoy the chance to help others with a very difficult to understand and very difficult to trust life necessity - auto matineance and repair. As such, I am somewhat conservative with views for vehicle maintenance because I have seen all the horror stories caused by basic neglect. If you do the bare minimum - will you be OK? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. If you go a little more than the minimum, is there a benefit? Absolutely - no question at all. Will it make a difference? Yes. To address concerns I have with the information you shared from elsewhere, I will itemize: 5k balance tires - Wheel balancing is never a preventive maintenance activity. However, many repair facilities and service consultants who are being proactive recommend wheel balancing due to the fact that there is about a 50/50 chance after a tire rotation that you will develop a high speed vibration upon leaving the mainteance visit. This is because the tires that were on the rear could have lost a weight while they were in the rear, or could have dents and dings while being on the rear, causing an out of balance situation. This is especially true with front wheel drive vehicles, which have much less weight in the back of the vehicle than in the front, and have tires that have a habit of not entirely keeping in true complete contact with the road due to multiple factors. By proactively recommending wheel balancing, you are saving a customer from having the headache of having to return again soon after their visit to have the balance then performed. Convenience is a huge factor in our schedules these days especially. Getting things done all at once rather than taking that 50/50 risk and having to come back and shell out possibly more cash is the aim here. Furthermore, proper wheel balancing promotes positive tire wear on all wheels for the life of the tire. Sure, there are other factors that influence tire wear - some much more critically. But balancing your wheels does have multiple values and should not be just shrugged off. 10k check alignment - I would not suggest checking alignment at any particular mileage interval, but most manufacturers will stipulate in their owners manual that it's a good idea to check your wheel alignment annually. The reason is to be proactive and prevent uneven tire wear before it ever starts. It also helps maintain the most efficient angles for your wheels to be in for the best economy and driving operation of your vehicle. Preventing the tire wear is huge -- once you start wearing a tire unevenly, you cannot ever really correct that. Even once a faulty alignment is corrected, the damage is already done. The biggest falacy listed in the comments you had posted is that alignment "also may be needed if vibration at highway speeds". This is 100% false. Wheel alignment has absolutely no correlation with wheel vibration. Ever. Period. That would be caused by wheel balancing, bent wheels, out of round tires...and on rare occasions wheel bearing / hub issues, axle issues. 30,000 mile transmission services are not urgent these days across the board - indeed. You may note above that I indicated it MAY be a good idea for you in Wisconsin based on conditions. Transmissions and their fluid do not like excessive wheel slippage, excessive idling time, excessive load carrying, start and stop traffic. Any of these items occuring even fairly infrequently pose considerable wear to even the most modern transmission fluids. True - the friction modifiers in the latest grades of transmission fluids are more robust than ever before, but wear and tear always occurs with mechanical components, and the only true difference with 10 years ago and today is that vehicle manufacturers are trying very hard to make cars "maintenance free" for the most part...and they rely on modern advances in fluid make up to bridge the gap between what used to be a known maintenance interval and where it is now. So yes - check that transmission fluid condition proactively. Change when needed, to be sure. But be advised that an ounce of prevention prevents a pound of misery. Never fails. Differential oil, transfer case oil, power steering fluid. First -- let's take power steering fluid out of the picture. Differential fluid and transfer case oil are 100% absolutely subject to normal wear and tear and breakdown over miles of driving. A major manufacturer engineer once told me that 30k for transfer cases and 60k for differentials (front and rear) was the only way to ensure great lifespans for these intricate expensive components. You have clutches and bearings involved here...and all it takes is dirty NON FILTERED fluid to turn things sour. Again, don't forget that your transfer case and differentials unlike your engine and transmission do not have fluid filters or even screens to prevent contamination. Transfer case services are cheap - expect only a few quarts of oil and a quick drain and fill. Absolutely worth it. Differentials are a little more because of the type of gear lube used and how it gets accessed. But again - it's prevention. 90k tune up. Try 60,000 miles. The reason? The ability of getting the spark plug out of an aluminum cylinder head after being in it for 90,000 or 100,000 miles is seriously challenging. You can take the threads right of the head at times. Or break the plug off in the head. Is that really worth taking a chance on? Besides, fuel economy can be affected by wearing spark plugs. Fractionally - yes, but still, every little bit of help you can get counts. Remember "do this only if the vehicle is running rough"...and "only needed if I notice a vibration" are REACTIVE, not PROACTIVE comments. Would you rather plan your maintenace service, or have to take the car in inconveniently between intervals due to a failure or break down that could have been prevented? To finalize - thermostat, yeah, no interval there, but it can be expected that somewhere south of 200,000 miles or 5-10 years of service, this mechanical spring loaded device will fail and stick... And when it does, and your engine overheats and you blow your head gasket...........was it worth it to skip the proactive replacement? In the end, we get to all decide for ourselves, I suppose. And everyone is entitled to their own opinion, to be sure. I'm not meaning to be "argumentative" or anything, just feel really strongly that misleading views that are passed off as credible should be checked for accuracy and challenged when factually inaccurate. Back to your original question - kudos to you for being proactive in your attempt to keep your car in shape. Awareness and knowledge and education is half the battle. You should applaud yourself for your endeavors to learn and do the best for yourself and your car. I hope you take my writing as caring rather than divisive or adversarial - I don't mean to be anything but helpful and supportive. Continued luck and good fortune with your Toyota.

Great job breaking it down for a non-mechanic! Much appreciated. NYPTBLUE